Box Score Schenectady, N.Y. - October 4, 2014 - The Springfield College football team picked up its fourth-straight victory as it held on for a 42-35 win at Union College on Saturday afternoon in Liberty League play.
Springfield, which defeated Union for the first time since 2010, now stands at 4-1, 2-0 in conference play. The Dutchmen lost their fourth-straight game decided by one score to fall to 0-4, 0-2.
The Pride finished with 521 yards in offense while the hosts had 437. Springfield, ranked second in NCAA Division III in rushing, had 379 yards on the ground. Stephen Speidel (Sussex, N.J.) continued his impressive freshman season, totaling 143 years on just 10 carries, while finding the end zone once. Quarterback Jonathan Marrero (Boston, Mass.) was 3-for-6 for 142 yards and two touchdowns and Andres Martin (Torrington, Conn.) had a 77 yard reception for a TD. Kenny Calaj (Everett, Mass.) made 12 tackles with 1.5 for losses and Danny Macalena (Congers, N.Y.) and Max Nacewicz (Sandy Hook, Conn.) had 10 each.
Union wide receiver Andrew Baker had a career high 135 yards receiving with two touchdowns, and Darnel Thomas led the ground game with 65 yards. Connor Eck was 17 for 39 with four touchdowns and Geller came in after Eck was injured and was 6 for 15 for 83 yards and a TD. Jake LaRovera led the Dutchmen with 12 tackles and Julian Gendels and Thomas Hayes made 11 sopts each. Gendels and Hayes had 2.5 tackles each.
The second half featured only 15 total points after a wild first half that produced a 34-28 Springfield lead. Speidel opened the scoring with a 66 yard touchdown run 4:16 into the game. The Pride made it 14-0 with 1:11 remaining in the first quarter after Drew Brown (Barrington, R.I.) rushed in from eight yards out to cap a seven play, 42 yard drive that took 3:06.
Union got on the board 2:10 into the second quarter in a drive that started late in the first quarter. Eck found Dylas Schuck for a 29 yard scoring strike to pull the Dutchmen to within seven. Just 2:49 later, Eck hit Baker for 61 yards as the Dutchmen tied it after a two play, 61 yard drive in just 1:02.
But on the next play after the kickoff, the Pride took the lead back at 21-14 as Martin raced 77 yards on a catch from Marrero with 9:43 left in the half. Marrero rushed in from 37 yards out with 7:29 left for a 28-14 lead, on a two play, 54 yard 36 second drive.
Back came Union as Eck hit Nick Reali for a five yard passing touchdown to cap a four play, 19 yard drive in 1:32 that made it 28-21 with 1:51 left in the second quarter. Springfield went two plays on the next drive in only 24 seconds, with Blake Joppy (Clarksburg, Md.) accounting for all 75 yards of the drive, including a 48 yard touchdown from Marrero with 1:28 left in the second.
Union then went 10 plays and 72 yards in 1:15 as Baker caught a 10 yard TD pass from Eck with 13 seconds left in the half. The first half had a 34-28 Springfield lead and the teams had combined for 663 yards in offense.
After the high powered first half, the teams kept each other scoreless in the third quarter. Joppy had a six yard run to complete a nine play, 63 yard drive in 5:04 with 8:52 remaining in the fourth, and after Marrero found Todd Bazarewsky (Plymouth, Mass.) for a two point pass play, Springfield's lead grew to 42-28.
Off the ensuing kickoff, the Dutchmen marched 69 yards on a seven play, 1:58 drive. Geller, who came in on the fourth play of the drive, had a 14 yard touchdown pass to Reynolds on a third-and-eight to make it a seven point game.
Springfield turned it over on downs on the Union 31 with 1:09 left. Blake Geller completed three straight passes for 36 yards and after a pass to stop the clock, found Andrew Baker for 14 yards. On a fourth and 10 from the Springfield 25 yard line, Nacewicz sealed the win with a sack.
Springfield will hit the road again next week for a showdown with nationally-ranked Hobart on Saturday. Kick off is slated for 12:00 pm
